Economics of the U.S. Commercial Airline Industry: Productivity,
Technology and Deregulation illustrates the impact of upstream
technological change in capital goods (aircraft and aircraft engines) on
demand, productivity, and cost reduction in the U.S. airline industry
for the years 1970-1992. The aim is to separate supply-side technology
push from demand pull in determining investment in aircraft in the US
airline industry. The focus of inquiry in this study is at the company
level, so the measures are sensitive to company differences such as
financial costs, payload, and existing aircraft inventory rather than
industry averages. This monograph builds on the new developments in
econometric modeling and has a substantial technical component. The
quantitative results lead to implications for understanding technology
and its impact on the airline industry, as well as for formulating
regulatory policy